The Path
by Xyacharia
Summary: All it took was for her to be a little rusty for a regular patrol to turn into a death sentence. However as she lays dying on a rooftop she is saved by a mysterious young man. Forced to keep a close eye on him due to unfortunate circumstances her path start to change. Rated m for future lemon, blood, cursing and drug use.


The Path: Prologue

Barbara Gordon - 9:00 pm

Location: Commissioner Gordan's Home in uptown Gotham

I looked at the Spanish homework like I'm reading Greek. I hate learning foreign languages, because they didn't make any sense to me. The teachers always tell me that there are rules to follow, but then it turns out that there is an exception, always an exception. I continue to look at my homework for several more minutes before I finally give up on the task of finishing it now. I put my pencil down and look out of the window. I can see the Bat signal in the distance which means Batman is going to busy tonight. I smirk; I was just thinking that I might need some air.

I'm up from the chair behind my desk and almost done changing in moments. My costume has been upgraded since I'd officially become Batgirl. My Spandex costume is now a more practical mix off Kevlar and titanium to allow me the maximum amount of protection while keeping me mobile in the field. The utility belt which used to be a clever redesign of one of my Dad's old one's is now military level hardware. There is so many gadgets in the belt alone that I'd have to spend hours listing them; and that's not even getting to what's in the pouches. I lock my room door and turn off my light. I wish I could be home when my uncle gets home, but duty calls me out into the night.

I open my window cautiously making sure that no one is watching. Once I'm sure I'm clear I'm out onto the fire escape in an instant. I climb quietly down the metal stairs and drop down into the brick back alley of our apartment building. I reach down into one of my utility pouches and pull out a remote. One push of a button and our dumpster suddenly moves to the side and reveals my ride. I put the remote back into its pouch and then climb onto the bat-cycle. I take the time to make sure the bike and I are connected to the main Bat computer. Never know when you need a super computer you know? I put my helmet on before I drive off as the bike begins to hum as the computer starts it. It feels great to be out again. I've just finished with my midterms and all the built up stress and anxiety of the past two weeks just seems to melt away. I smile at the thought of beating all of my frustrations out into the scum of Gotham as I rev my bike forward into the street ahead

I'm weaving in and out of traffic as if it was as easy as breathing. I'm on my way to my assigned patrol area which Robin's been covering for me while I was indisposed. We've recently come to an agreement that we need to be equally dispersed throughout Gotham to make sure that we can get the maximum coverage. Dick has the docks, Tim has the lower slums and I have the quieter parts of town since I'm newer to the team. Batman of course supersedes these imaginary boundaries that we have emplaced and can do whatever he wants; but it's nice to feel like there is some order in this crazy job we do. I suddenly cut in front of the car next to me and head down a dark alley way on the edge of my territory. I park the bike in a dark corner and activate its security systems. I pull out my grappling gun and point it up. I smile then pull the trigger and I'm off.

I laugh as the wind wipes across my face as I rush upwards and beyond the canopy of the city. Retracting the line on instinct I summersault gracefully onto the roof smiling as I land. I'm unable to contain it as I sprint to the edge of the building and fire the grappling gun again. I feel it catch as I jump off the roof of the 10 story apartment building. I let out another laugh as I swing from building to building. It feels so good to do this again. The wind rushing past me makes my red hair dance behind me like flames and the sounds of my city below play me a sweet musical. The pleasure I get from this is almost orgasmic in its nature. I come to a stop on a roof nearby winded by excitement and adrenaline. I look down at the ground below. I see a man dressed in a black hoodie suspiciously talking to a man in a suit. The two seem to be on edge as they converse. The conversation continues for several minutes before he hands him something too small for me to see. The man holds it up to the light made by a lamp post and then nods to the man in the hoodie before turning to go. I didn't have to see the whole transaction to know it has something to do with narcotics or illegal hardware.

I point my zip line to the building across from me and zip across silently. As the man gets into a black sedan I'm forced to make a choice. Do I go after the car or the thug? I choose to follow the thug and drop a tracker onto the trunk of the car of the man dressed in black. As the car starts up and the thug begins trudging off I begin my silent pursuit. His course is long and skewed he stops at several parks and shops almost as if to check on something. By the 3rd one I'm convinced he's just stalling. There is no one around here and I can't be sure if he'll return to his hideout ever. I decide that this is the perfect place to jump him and maybe get some info. However before I can act some new thugs appear out of hiding in the park. They have bats and other blunt objects on them. I see one who looks the leader with a pistol, but besides that I don't notice any particularly dangerous hardware on them.

I pull out a Batarang and aim carefully before I hear that they're talking about.

"Bane, isn't happy. He thinks that you're skimming off of the top. So he sent us here to make sure you know about what happens when you take what isn't yours," said the thug with a gun.

The drug dealer makes a run for it, he's fast and he's out of there before they can even react, he's not too fast for me though. I shoot a tracker onto his back and then turn my attention to the more important problem, Bane's thugs. I throw a Batarang hard. My aim is for the man with a gun. My Batarang flies true right into the man's hand. He cries out in pain as it cuts into his hand rendering his hand useless. I jump down from my perch my cape catches the wind and expands and brings me to a silent glide right into the middle of them.

"It's Batgirl," one cries.

I smirk at that; it's great to hear that again. I attack him first. My fist hits hard and fast knocking him out in an instant. The new nth metal gauntlets work wonders on improving my strength. I'm on to the next thug before they're even sure what's going on. I sweep the thugs feet out from under him and then I break his nose with my steel toed boot. He cries out in pain and rolls on the ground holding his face as blood runs down his face. This seems to cause the group to break out of the daze of confusion that they'd been in. I dive to the side when a big thug swings at me with a heavy lead pipe. I toss some knockout pellets in his face and he is on the ground in an instant as the chemicals do their job. I roll out of my dive into a combat stance when a thug gets the smart idea to sneak up behind me and grab me. I silently curse myself, I need to be far more attentive.

I double clench my hand activating my fore arm guards spikes and stab them into his legs. He cries out in pain and his grip loosens. I duck down avoiding the chained fist that had been aimed at my head. The thug that had been holding me before receives the nasty punch instead. I kick out and connect with the chin of the thug with the chains. He's sent flying into the air and he hits the hard from the ground unconscious. This only takes me a couple of seconds but these simple actions put me out of breathe. It's a sure sign that I need to get back to my old training regime. I turn back to the leader and am surprised to see him holding his dropped gun in the other hand. I'm not fast enough to dive out of the way of the bullet and it hits me in the stomach hard and I'm sent to the ground hard. I throw a batarang in reaction as I'm falling and it hits true and goes through his other hand. He falls down crying out in pain, both of his hands bloody wrecks. The bullet is stopped completely by the armour but the impact is still enough the make me woozy. I get up slowly from the ground and look around. The thugs are incapacitated but I don't have the energy to cuff them right now. That blow took a lot out of me. I can see the darkness creeping into my vision and I know what I have to do.

I need to get away; fast. I pull out my grappling line and fire it off towards a near by roof. The hook catches and I'm being pulled up on to the roof. I reach into my utility belt going for the emergency beacon. My hands are clumsy and heavy already, probably a concussion too, I know I need to do this before I black out or else it's over. My hand finds the pouch but my fingers can't seem to open it... I silently curse as I black out.

I wake up in an unfamiliar bed. My mouth is dry and I'm still groggy from the blow to the head, but immediately my training kicks in and I take in my surroundings. It's a large plain room with spartan like accommodations. The wallpaper peeling from the walls, In fact besides the bed I've just woken up in there is no other furniture or decoration besides the curtains surrounding the open window. The only sources of light come from the ajar door in front of me and the lights of Gotham outside the window.

I consider leaving quietly out the window but decide I need more information. I need to get more info before I leave and prepare some sort of measure to stop them. I quietly get out of the bed and go to the open door and peak beyond. The light is coming from a ceiling fan in the room beyond. I can't tell the persons age, but I can tell he's male and that he's preoccupied with something on the table.

I go for my cowl's radio, but instead come to the horrifying realization that my cowl isn't there. I silently curse myself for my carelessness. I'd forgotten to activate my mask's security protocol before I'd left, leading to my current predicament. I look around hoping that there is something I can use as a weapon. My search is rewarded with the sight of my cowl, cape, forearm guards and boots at the foot of my bed. I almost laugh at my good fortune, but quickly stifle that reaction. I quickly dawn the rest of my uniform and then I'm back at the door looking through it. I push it open slowly and go to leave the room. I'm as quiet as I can be, but steel toed boots on wooden floors makes it impossible to not make a lot of noise, regardless of your ninja training.

The person I saw looks up at me from the newspaper in front of him and smiles at me. I don't see any other options besides to attack. His unusual response not slowing my reaction down at all. I lunge at him arms out stretched to tackle him. He's up in an instant and side steps my lunge. I crash into the table he'd been seated at foolishly and roll the floor. I'm back on my feet in an instant ready to fight, my head pounding with a headache already.

His back is to me now and he's looking through the fridge. I growl in anger. He doesn't even consider me to be a threat. I go to charge him again when he stands up and looks back at me. He's no older than 15 or 16. I stop cold. My begins to race through all known villains and their ages trying to compute. I come to the realization that he's not in the database.

"Now that you're done trying to kill me," he says closing the fridge door with his butt, his hands holding what appears to be a salad and a wide variety of foods all miraculously balanced on in his two hands along with two plates.

"Let's eat."

He walks back to the toppled table and through some impressive skills stands it up with his foot and sets down the salad before pulling a folding chair from against the wall and setting it up. He takes his seat as if I'm not here then he Looks up at me bemused his eyes twinkling with invitation. He can tell I'm confused and he likes it. I find myself for some strange reason picking up the toppled chair and sitting down with him to eat. In front of me is a feast. Roasted chicken, cream corn, rolls, mash potatoes, fried chicken, and the salad, all well cooked and warm still.

He starts to serve the food in generous portions to me. My mind is racing. Is the food poisonous? Who is he? Why is helping me. Where exactly am I?

As I think these things he sits back down and starts eating. That answers one question, and I realize for the first time how truly hungry I am. I start to eat too, I'm cautious at first but soon the flavor over powers me. The food is too good. I continue to eat until I'm almost too full to move. For a moment I forget where I am, but as soon as I'm done eating I realize where I am again. My eyes are prowling the room again. Besides the table where we're sitting at there is only one other piece of furniture. Its a book case overflowing with books. Around it piles of book's take up a tremendous amount of the floor space.

He notices my gaze and smirks.

"Admiring my book case I see," he said whiskfully.

I turn to him and really look at him for the first time. His face is young and clean of facial hair. His hair a brown that is dark enough to be mistaken as black. He has dark brooding eyes that seemed to have some sort of devious plan in the works behind them.

"What do you want?"

The words leave my mouth before I can stop myself and I hold my breath for his reaction.

He shrugs and gets up picking up the plates on the table. He takes them to the sink and then turns back to me.

"How about we have dinner again sometime," he says smirking at me.

"What guarantee do I have that you won't set up a trap for me," I reply my mind racing.

I know he won't he's had all the time in the world to kill me, rape me or do an myriad of other horrible things to me, but he hasn't. All he's done is feed me.

He just smiles at me and turns to the sink and starts washing dishes.

"You don't have to," he said. "But it'd be nice."

"You're avoiding the subject, how do I know you can trust you," I ask suspciously.

"I can tell that no matter what I say you won't believe me. I can understand why of course. I mean the 'secret identity' thing is super important I suppose," he said drying his hands as he finished the dishes.

"I won't tell anyone," he said the annoying smirk coming back on to his face. "By the way how is that bruis?"

I look down at my stomach and see the bullet indent. I curse silently to myself. I need to go to the Bat Cave and get checked out for internal bleeding

" I wouldn't use that grappling gun any time soon. Well at least until you get checked for internal bleeding ," he says tossing me my utility belt.

"In fact, I'll keep it so you can't," he says twirling it around his finger. "Come get it when you're better."

I consider trying to wrestle it from him, but think better of it. I'm too weak for that right now. I snort and turn to leave.

"See you soon," he says as I open the door.

I can practically hear the smirk on his face.

That was the beginning of the path I walk down today. It was a confusing, whimsical start; but it was one.

A/N so this is my first ever story done by a request. I know it's kind of confusing but please bear with it. My plans for this story are grand to the point where *spoiler* she might end up fighting against the whole batman family. I know that it doesn't seem to make sense now but it will In time. Please comment tell me what you want, any and all suggestions are welcome. Alright one last thing. Thanks to the man who requested this.(won't put him on the spot and say his name) but thanks again


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